Friday, 7 December 2012

Women Bishops: July too soon?

CAMPAIGNERS who want to see a fresh Measure to admit women to the episcopate at the General Synod next July may be disappointed, two bishops have suggested…

On Tuesday, however, the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, suggested that the House “ought to be able to share with people a process” at the Synod in July. “That will lead in due course to fresh legislative proposals.”…

"July might be too soon to return to the fray, bishops warn".
At last some sensible comment seems to be emerging from the general atmosphere of panic which erupted following last month's vote.

Posted by: Father David on
Friday, 7 December 2012 at 11:36am GMT

Why not address this matter in February 2013? I do not see the point in waiting another half year. It would be a great step forward if women in the CofE could be consecrated as bishops within the coming year. This silliness to delay again and again is counterproductive on every level.

Posted by: Chris Smith on
Friday, 7 December 2012 at 1:21pm GMT

Hidden at the end of the article:

"Next Wednesday, a debate on the Synod vote is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons. It will be introduced by Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, who is a patron of the Group for Rescinding the Act of Synod."

And indeed, on the parliamentary schedule for Wednesday 12 December, we see:

"Backbench Business
"Church of England Synod vote on women bishops"

Posted by: Jeremy on
Friday, 7 December 2012 at 1:25pm GMT

Depressing to see that bishops still haven't got it. Parliament isn't going to wait that long. And within the church we need theology and scholarship to challenge the fundamentalists, not lazy pragmatism and theological relativism. This lot need a lesson in history from Diarmuid MacCulloch.

Posted by: Helen lewis on
Friday, 7 December 2012 at 3:08pm GMT

Panic? Don't be offensively silly.

Deep and angry shame, rather, that the Church, having decided a generation ago that there is no valid theological obstacle to the admission of women to Holy Orders should still be too afraid to implement that insight.

Much as I am inclined to disagree with the +Dover just about most things - I wonder how productive it is to rush back in to action in February? It would be likely that only similar-with-a-small-tweak legislation could return in that time frame, which wouldn't in fact address the concerns those pro WB had about the legislation. It would in fact still be the same Synod and therefore the C of E would risk ending with the same result, if the only legislation likely to pass in February is one that provides MORE provision I , for one, don't want it.

One definition of foolishness is to repeat the same course of action again expecting a different result. We need some time to do a radical rethink and we urgently need to establish a different benchmark as Archdeacon Janet Henderson points out in her blog http://archdeaconinthedales.blogspot.co.uk

'To aim for two such separate integrities in the long term is, and always was, nonsense. People with split personalities are unwell and, we see now, the church is very unwell indeed. The debate on Tuesday was no more than the logical conclusion to the fact that we have spent 20 years encouraging people not to change their position on this issue, not to listen to each other, and not to work together, but to feel safe in which ever set of beliefs they hold...We need some fresh thinking and behaviour which starts from the premise that women are as central to the whole life of the church as men. This is the sine qua non'
So Yes, the matter needs urgent attention, yes we cannot afford to spend time and energy going round the same old mulberry bush again, but perhaps less haste, more speed. Lets get it right this time. Lets proceed with a single clause measure.

Posted by: Lindsay Southern on
Friday, 7 December 2012 at 7:40pm GMT

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